In 2017, India's top shuttlers Kidambi Srikanth and PV Sindhu won four and two Super Series titles respectively. However, this year, other than Saina Nehwal's gold and the Indian team's title-winning feat at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April, there have been no other first-place finishes from an Indian shuttler at a premier competition.

Chief coach Pullela Gopichand puts it down to lack of time for training given the busy 2018 calendar. "Overall, it's been a tough year for us," was Gopichand's reply when mid-day asked him to analyse Indian badminton's performance this year.